Deal Junkies Hurt Stores’ Profits

Stores try to wean sales-addicted shoppers off discounts, but it’s not easy. Early this year, nearly three-quarters of 1,000 shoppers surveyed by consumer research firm America’s Research Group said it would take discounts of at least 50 percent to get them to buy a given item. … Paco Underhill … says retailers discounting during the downturn created shoppers who think everyday pricing “takes some fun out of” shopping. To help break the vicious cycle of discounting, Underhill says merchants have to think of ways to attract shoppers that can be just as intoxicating as two-hour sales or coupons.